Monthly Archive for: "October, 2014"

October Employees of the Month

Congratulations to our seven employees of the month. Your hard work and dedication makes you true ambassadors of “The Spinato’s Experience”.

Eduardo “Lalo” Martinez

Tempe Location

After a brief hiatus, Tempe Spinato’s is proud to have Lalo back, and even more excited to announce him as our October EOM! When he came back, Lalo didn’t miss a beat, it was like he never even left! He is extremely hard working and just as dependable as ever.

We are grateful to have Lalo back with our Tempe family!

Rob McEntire

North Phoenix Location

Up here in North Phoenix we proudly announce Rob McEntire as our October Employee of the Month! Why, you ask? Well, Goonies never say die, and neither does Rob! He also happens to be quite the amazing server, slinging pizzas like Chunk serving up Baby Ruth’s! So if you happen to be on the north side of town looking for buried pirates treasure, 1985, or just some great pizza served up with some great service, stop by! We promise, no booty traps!

Congratulate this Goonie on a job well done!

Shannon Burriss

Central Phoenix Location (Front of the House)

Central Phoenix Spinato’s proudly proclaims our Front of House employee of the month for October to be Shannon Burriss! Shannon has been with us since January 2011 and has worked just about every position in the restaurant! No matter where she is working, she is always giving our guests the Spinato’s Experience. She has a great attitude and has always been there when we need her.

Thank you, Shannon, for all your hard work and dedication!

Trumon Davis

Central Phoenix Location (Heart of the House)

Central Phoenix proudly proclaims our Heart of House employee of the month for October to be Trumon Davis! Davis has been with us for just a couple of months, but has been an instant asset! He works in our kitchen creating perfect appetizers and sandwiches for our guests. Davis comes in every day with a smile on his face that lights up the kitchen.

Thanks for your fantastic work ethic & attitude, Davis!

Michael Hamby

Scottsdale Location

You would never know Mike Hamby is one of our newer members of our Heart of House team with his pizza building speed and skill – and that’s why he’s our October Employee of the Month! With the wing span of a great eagle, Mike has quickly soared to the front lines. Don’t let mild-mannered Mike fool you, when his talons are reaching for our fresh ingredients, he does so with a ferocious precision and accuracy. The end result – a beautiful pizza worthy of any of our honorable guests!

Keep flying high, Mike!

Alberto Rubio

Ahwatukee Location (Front of the House)

Spinato’s Ahwatukee is happy to announce Alberto Rubio to be our October Front of the House employee of the month! Bert has been with us for just under a year and is making his mark here in Ahwatukee. Bert is a great team player, always has an extremely positive attitude and really knows how to deliver that famous Spinato’s Experience.

Please congratulate Bert on an amazing job well done!

Freddie “Jessie” Ortega

Ahwatukee Location (Heart of the House)

Spinato’s Ahwatukee proudly proclaims Freddie Ortega to be our October Heart of the House employee of the month. Jessie has been with us for almost two years and is a joy to work with, as well as an asset to have on our team. Jessie is a driving force in our kitchen with his passion and knowledge for making the delicious food that is delivered to your table. He always has a great attitude and is well-deserving of this title.

Celebrating 40 Years

Pizza Icon Brought Chicago-Style Recipes to the Phoenix-Area in 1974

Spinato’s Pizzeria, the family owned Chicago-style local pizza chain celebrates its 40th year in business this month. The Phoenix-area favorite has brought their brand of authentic Italian flavors, meticulously perfected recipes and family atmosphere to countless guests along the way, making Spinato’s a local institution.

The Spinato’s story started in 1974, when Ken and Elaine Spinato, with their infant daughter Nicole, moved to the Phoenix-area from Chicago. Ken, a self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur, felt Phoenix was the perfect place, except for one thing: it was missing true Chicago-style pizza. Ken and Elaine set about to change that and Spinato’s Pizzeria was born to satisfy a hole in the market. A year later, the family welcomed their son, Anthony; and Grandma and Grandpa Spinato moved to Phoenix making Spinato’s Pizzeria a real family experience.

“When my parents started out 40 years ago, they worked constantly to create the best, and we kids were right there with them,” explains Vice President Anthony Spinato. “People started asking to take the homemade sauce with them after dinner – the only to-go containers were these little Styrofoam cups. Forty years in, people are still asking to take our sauce home. The sauce hasn’t changed, but the method of transport is a little more sophisticated now.”

Over the years, Spinato’s Pizzeria grew by word-of-mouth.

The Spinato’s Experience, where every customer is treated just like a member of the family, became as legendary as the authentic family recipes Ken and Elaine were serving. In 1986, they opened their Tempe location that had started as a retail production kitchen for personal-sized pizzas to sell in grocery stores and schools. It grew so fast that at times, the family had to seat hungry guests at the family’s office desks located in the warehouse behind the dining room.

Today, Spinato’s Pizzeria has five locations in the Phoenix-area, serving pizza, calzones, pastas, sandwiches, salads and appetizers. The family recipes that guests enjoyed 40 years ago haven’t changed, with the same traditional Italian flavors and authentic taste, and each restaurant is personally overseen by a member of the Spinato’s family.

“It really matters to us that our guests feel as though they’re part of our family,” remarks Anthony Spinato. “We’ve worked hard to make sure that every person who walks through our doors knows that not only are they going to get the absolute best food, but we’re going to welcome them as though we’ve known them for years. With a lot of our customers, that’s actually the case.”

In July, the Spinatos expanded on their successful restaurant concept with Andiamo Market, a quick serve cafe and bakery featuring a variety of hand-made pastries, baked goods and beverages, including a full espresso bar. All of the Andiamo baked goods are made fresh, by hand, each day, and some are created from recipes that have been handed down for generations. Andiamo Market is adjoined to their Central Phoenix Spinato’s restaurant on North 7th Street and Missouri Avenue.

The Spinato family also offers Spinato’s Fine Foods, a line of sauces, dressings and pizzas, all created from authentic Spinato’s recipes and currently available at AJ’s Fine Markets across the Valley. In addition, Spinato’s also provides a true Italian food experience for events of just about any size through its catering department.

September Employees of the Month

Miranda Woods

Tempe Location

Tempe Spinato’s Employee of the Month choice is Miranda Woods! Miranda is a newcomer to our Heart of House crew, but has immediately proven that she can hold her own in the kitchen! Armed with a great attitude and willingness to learn, Miranda is a true diamond in the rough.

Thank you for all your hard work, Miranda; it does not go unnoticed!

Harley Dumont

North Phoenix Location

This month we have elected the noble and distinguished delivery driver Harley as our Employee of the Month! Like all good knights, Harley bravely and honorably delivers pizzas throughout the realm, bringing a piece of happiness past your front moat. Next time you see Harley arrive at your castle walls on his trusty steed (named Ford), raise the gate and let the feast begin!

Keiko Murakami

Central Phoenix Location (Front of the House)

Central Phoenix Spinato’s proudly proclaims our Front of House employee of the month for September to be Keiko Murakami. Keiko has been with us since we opened our new location last November. She makes sure all our guests that come and dine with us receive “The Spinato’s Experience”! Keiko has always been there when we need her, and is always smiling!

Thank you Keiko, we are so lucky to have you!

Dusty Schouten

Central Phoenix Location (Heart of House)

Central Phoenix Spinato’s proudly proclaims our Heart of House employee of the month for September to be Dusty Schouten! Dusty has been with us since June 2014. From the first day, he told us he would give 100%, and he hasn’t let us down! It took Dusty no time to learn two stations in the kitchen. His work ethic and fantastic attitude are second to none.

Theo Thomas

Scottsdale Location

Spinato’s in Scottsdale is happy to announce Theo Thomas as our September Employee of the Month! Theo is a pleasant, hardworking young man who is always energetic, enthusiastic, and happy no matter what he is doing. Aside from being an expert dishwasher, Theo is also a very talented young musician and guitarist, and has just recently picked up the banjo fer FUN!! Yes, we meant to say fer fun.

Great work, Theo!

Nick Tillery

Ahwatukee Location (Front of House)

Spinato’s Ahwatukee proudly proclaims Nick Tillery for our September Front of the House employee of the month. Not only is Nick an amazing addition to our team, but he is a talented and aspiring musician. Not to mention he is semi-professional gamer – wow, what a combination! He is such a joy to have and is definitely making a name for himself within our family here in Ahwatukee.

Please congratulate him and his beard (known as “Dragon”) collectively on a job well done!

Leo Gallegos

Ahwatukee Location (Heart of House)

Spinato’s Ahwatukee proudly proclaims Leo Gallegos for our September Heart of the House employee of the month. Leo has been with the Spinato’s family for a while now and could arguably win an award for having the most Employee of the Month titles! He is a force to be reckoned with in our heart of the house. You definitely know when he is not here because of all that he does when he is here. He is most known for his bright smile and the dedication he has to our work family.